Wanted: research questions for citizen science

Published on 11 February 2019

How many species of butterfly are living in my garden? Do I recognise the Leiden dialect? What is the air quality like in my area? Do you have a question about something that affects you, your neighbours or the whole city of Leiden or The Hague? Residents and scientists have until 15 March 2019 to send in any questions that they want to research together.

Urban science

The Leiden University Citizen Science Labchallenges residents and scientists to join forces and study issues facing society. Because science is for everyone! In citizen science projects residents help with real scientific research – not as a guinea pig but as a scientist. Residents and scientists work together on the project, and the residents are involved as much as possible in all phases of the research.

Citizen Science Lab

The Leiden University Citizen Science Lab will help residents and scientists devise and carry out these research projects. Send your questions to cslab@strw.leidenuniv.nl before Friday 15 March 2019. The Citizen Science Lab will then help you develop your question into a project proposal. Residents, organisations, partnerships and scientists can submit ideas. The Municipality of Leiden has made funds available to carry out at least one project. This is within the scope of 444 years of Leiden University.

About citizen science

Citizens are increasingly working on real scientific research. For instance, by measuring the air quality in their area, counting birds, butterflies or bees in their back gardens or analysing online satellite imagery or footage from wildlife cameras in Africa. Many of these projects are started by scientists who discover that they need residents to collect enough data over a large area or to analyse digital images that computers can’t yet manage. And more and more projects are started by residents themselves because they see a problem in their neighbourhood that scientific data or analyses might just solve. The Citizen Science Lab brings together residents and scientists to gain new insights for science and society.